In my teens, I remember TV commercials for Yellow Pages in the UK. The publication would list local retailers by category, and then you could call to see if the retailer had the item in stock. Maybe if they were a ‘nice retailer’ they would but the item aside for you (a boy wanting a new...

Over the past few ye ars much of the innovation in payments has centered on the consumer experience with the mobile handset for purchases at point of sale (POS). NFC payments is the topic du jour in many countries. Mobile network operators through consortia like ISIS are driving an amount of buzz in...

This week Microsoft announced its 4Afrika initiative. This is a new effort through which the company will actively engage in Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness. By 2016, the 4Afrika Initiative plans to help place tens of millions of smart devices in the hands of...

Looking back on Sibos this year, one of the most exciting aspects of the show for Microsoft was the phenomenal interest around the recent launch of Windows 8 and its value to banks in the enterprise. The formal launch of Windows 8 on October 26th gave Microsoft the opportunity to show off some of the...

Another key solution provider that Microsoft is proud to partner with at Sibos is Experian Payments, a leading provider of payments solutions for the European market. To provide some more insight to Experian, their solutions and what to expect at Sibos I invited Jonathan Williams of Experian Payments...

Kon nichi wa Osaka. After a missed connection on the way from Chicago, I finally checked into the hotel at midnight, thankful my luggage also survived the trip. As a wet drizzle blankets Osaka on Sunday morning the Microsoft team is making our final preparations, and it gives me a chance for a blog post...

Microsoft has many high profile technology solutions partners exhibiting at Sibos this year. Decillion Group, a leading provider of SWIFT and high value payments solutions across Asia, was one of the first Microsoft partners to develop payments solutions on BizTalk and the Accelerator for SWIFT. To provide...

As a slight diversion from my normal blog topics, I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly introduce you to one of my colleagues and his new Microsoft blog for capital markets. Rupesh Khendry is Microsoft's head of capital markets solutions focus and is a strong ally and partner in our preparation...

With only about six weeks to go before the doors of Sibos 2012 open in Osaka, Japan - I thought I'd take this opportunity to give a brief overview of Microsoft's presence there. As a SWIFT Key Partner we've been an exhibitor at Sibos for 9 years now, essentially since the BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT...

Last week I had the privilege to attend and speak at the Temenos Community Forum in Barcelona. Over the years this has expanded from being a customer-only event to also include prospects, partners, press and analysts. The Temenos team always organizes a great conference; the locations are terrific, and...

More and more I hear our customers and partners around the world asking for a Microsoft view on how to best leverage technology to transform banking. Banks are faced with complex decisions to modernize core infrastructure, increase employee productivity and also provide innovation to customers. It is...

As the countdown to Sibos Toronto continues, today I would like to introduce you to one of Microsoft’s Sibos stand partners. ProfitStars is part of Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. and is a long standing financial services partner with a focus on deposit automation and payment solutions. To provide...

I hope those of you in the northern hemisphere enjoyed your summer and took time out to be with friends and family. Now the summer is drawing to and end, the kids are back at school, and that means one other thing: Sibos is right around the corner. Just 3 weeks to be precise! Microsoft financial services...

As the debate about digital wallets and mobile payment models rages in the US, many point to the very successful mobile schemes in markets such as Africa as proof positive that a mobile payments infrastructure can be sustained as a viable model. M-PESA in Kenya is perhaps the flagship model, now with...

Those of you who know me have heard that I am passionate about the game of hockey (the variety played on ice rather than grass). The NHL playoffs have just started and so this is my favorite time of year. It's a fast-paced game and it takes physical and mental stamina to win four best-of-seven series...

Hardly a day goes by without some new innovation in mobile payments or mobile banking being announced. It’s hardly surprising, as ‘consumers in control’ are demanding banks provide services that meet the capabilities of mobile devices. But the other thing one notices is the almost complete...

Payments processing has always demanded a high performance, and highly resiliant platfrom. This is true of Fedwire and other RTGS systems, national ACH systems, and card transaction platforms alike. As the first of these systems was implemented in the 1970s and 1980s it isn't surprising that mainframe...

It is easy to think of ISO20022 as a Europe-only set of message definitions because of the machinations around SEPA, and so the broader value of ISO20022 and its global applicability can be lost when it is viewed only as a SEPA issue. At Sibos 2010 I was delighted to participate in a panel discussion...

Living in the Chicago area, I've spent my fair share of time in traffic congestion trying to get to the airport. (Anyone familiar with Chicago ORD will also know that finding a plane that leaves on time is another challenge - but that's a different story). Chicago is known for having only two seasons...

This last month I talked to a few analysts about the market direction of core banking modernization, and I was pleased to hear that these initiatives continue to advance. Of course, not all banks are willing to give up their legacy systems as part of the drive for technology modernization, especially...

This week RBS found the spotlight in an unenviable way when it was fined GBP 5.6M by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for insufficient controls over payments screening processes. According to news articles, the list of transgressions include a breakdown of manual procedures and also inadequate...

Having blogged last week about the replacement of a custom mainframe banking solution with a vendor mainframe banking solution at Citi, this week I’m turning to an organization taking an entirely different track. Currently under the shadow of the ash clouds drifting over northern Europe from Iceland...

Last month Citi, typically known as an IT innovator in the financial services world, announced it is to replace its aging legacy core banking system with another mainframe-based batch system. Because of the relatively large number of mainframe solutions specific to the US market, and a host of outsourced...

Core banking system replacement is arguably one of the most challenging technology projects in banking today. I often liken core operations to the engine room of a ship: it's an area that hums away in the background, needs regular care and maintenance, and historically has run that way for some time...